Notre Dame prevailed in a back-and-forth contest over the Mizzou men’s basketball team on Tuesday night, using a last-second triple to earn a 76-71 victory in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Tigers are now 8-1 on the season, while the Fighting Irish improve to 6-3.
MIZZOU LEADERS
Mark Mitchell and Jacob Crews both eclipsed 20 points on the night. Mitchell tallied 26 points to go with five boards and two steals. Crews added 22 points – his most in a Mizzou uniform – making 5-of-10 from 3-point range.
Anthony Robinson II led the Tigers with seven boards a season-best five steals on the night, while T.O. Barrett had a career-best four assists.
GAME RECAP
An early 8-0 run gave the hosts a 10-4 lead just minutes into the game but the Tigers controlled the remainder of the first half. Trailing by four, 15-11, Mizzou would use a 15-4 run to move in front by seven, 26-19. Mitchell ignited the spurt with eight points during the stretch as the Tigers would lead for the remainder of the opening period.
It was Crews’ second triple of the game that finished off the early spurt and the graduate guard would tally the Tigers’ final eight points of the first as Mizzou headed into the locker room with a 40-33 lead.
The Irish, however, would put together a strong start to the second half. After scoring the final five points of the opening period, Notre Dame added five more to start the second to trim what was a 12-point deficit down to just two, 40-38. An 11-0 run then gave the Irish its first lead of the second period, moving in front of the Tigers by seven, 53-46.
Mizzou would respond with an 11-0 run of its own, however. A Mitchell and-one gave the visitors some needed momentum with Crews capping the stretch with two triples for the four-point advantage, 57-53, with eight minutes remaining.
From there, both teams battled back-and-forth. Notre Dame took a 61-60 lead only for Mitchell to knock down a triple and give Mizzou a 63-61 lead. The Irish hit a triple of their own and then added a pair of free throws with 53 ticks remaining for a two-point edge, 69-67. Crews drew a foul and added two from the charity stripe of his own for the 67-67 game with 44 seconds remaining. However, a deep triple with 17 seconds left gave Notre Dame the lead for good en route to the 76-71 victory.
TEAM STATS
Mizzou finished the game by shooting 44.4 percent. The Tigers held the edge in the paint, 34-24, and in points off turnovers, 23-9.
Notre Dame made 46.3 percent of its field goals and earned its advantage beyond the arc where it made 11 triples to Mizzou’s six.
UP NEXT
The Tigers turn their attention toward the StorageMart Border Showdown, squaring off with No. 21 Kansas in Kansas City. Tipoff is set for noon at T-Mobile Center on ESPN2.
